1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fountain type coating device wherein a reservoir tray supports a surface applicator roller that frictionally rotates as it is manually pushed against the surface and a fountain feeder roller mounted in the tray below, wherein the applicator roller engages and drives the fountain feeder roller to supply coating material to the surface of the applicator roller. More specifically, this invention relates to an additional drive means for the applicator and feeder rollers to provide a non-slip drive for said rollers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, prior art devices included manual fountain coating devices, wherein the coating composition such as paint of suitable viscosity is applied to the surface to be coated by the applicator roller as it drives itself by bearing pressure against the surface which causes the roller to turn as it is manually manipulated over the surface. For example, the following patents will exemplify the prior art:
______________________________________ 489,828 W. Peterson 1/10/1893 979,300 W. W. Hill 12/20/10 2,424,323 J. Millholland 7/22/47 2,485,428 A. Bleier et al 10/18/49 2,548,530 M. Bick 4/10/51 2,589,407 J. Lee 3/18/52 2,601,692 C. O'Donnell 7/1/52 3,128,494 W. Hohmann 4/14/64 3,160,909 H. Nelkin 12/15/64 3,893,773 Ten Heuw 7/8/75 ______________________________________
Such prior art devices utilize an applicator roller as the drive roller and it has been found unsatisfactory because at certain viscosities of the coating material, such as paint, and excessive roller bearing friction against the surface being coated, the roller may not always start rotating on the surface. For example, it will often start skidding on the freshly coated surface resulting in an uneven coating and unsatisfactory finish.
To remedy the foregoing problem of the prior art, an additional outboard drive wheel and idler wheel with a positive traction band or a solid rubber wheel with high friction drive action is provided from a dry or uncoated surface so as to be used in offset relation during the application roller coating operation. The drive wheel is mounted to provide a manual quick-disconnect from the applicator roller, to thereby permit the applicator roller to continue the applicator roller rotation independently at this stage on the coating. Thus, at this stage, the applicator roller provides for the coating to be spread out laterally and worked into the surface free of the additional offset traction wheel to avoid any wheel marks on the finished surface. However, up to the final coating stage without the additional drive wheel in driving or surface traction engagement, the slippage of the applicator roller and feed roller will lack the continuous and even distribution of the coating material. This is particularly important when the application roller used has an ornamental pattern on its outside diameter.